National Treasure Artist

Chapter 213 Comparison of Zen Culture between China and Island Countries

On one side, Masayuki Kurokawa looked at the image frozen on the curtain with a complex expression.

Of course he knows the cultural core of this design, and he was even the first assistant when Bai Gongtong designed it.

He is the person who knows this courtyard and this building best besides Davidia involucrata.

"I once said that the future of Chinese architecture cannot abandon its past, and its core should be found in culture."

"Our 5000-year history and culture are too old."

Bai Gongtong spoke, and he said with a smile: "I don't know how many ideas and aesthetics are contained in this vast culture, all of which are waiting for our designers to discover and refine."

"What I'm talking about today is a cultural core that I have extracted."

Bai Gongtong paused slightly, revealing his thoughts, and then slowly recited a poem:

"Chen and green are in different directions, and the beginning of red has overlapped. At the beginning of sweeping the courtyard, there are three or two leaves around the tree."

The people in front of him listened carefully and considered silently.

Just listen to Bai Gongtong's words.

"The courtyard is full of fallen leaves. We don't clean up the fallen leaves, but leave some fallen leaves naturally."

"But seeking to survive is natural, and randomness makes perfect."

"This is what we do in China."

The voice wanted to be in everyone's ears, in Masayuki Kurokawa's ear.

Masayuki Kurokawa then whispered to himself: "The courtyard full of fallen leaves, clean it up and be meticulous."

"This is what our island nation does."

Mr. Wu, President Xue, Minister Chen and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"The core of the China Pavilion I designed lies in China's Zen culture."

Bai Gongtong glanced at the crowd and continued: "Chinese Zen is human touch, Zen is a kind of 'Tao', and 'Tao' is our culture."

"Our Zen culture advocates 'broadness and beauty', 'broadness' is not pomp, and 'beauty' is not kitsch."

"Our Zen culture pays attention to life and emphasizes vitality."

"Vividness, change, and interest, maintain a 'live' artistic conception everywhere. The water should be twists and turns, and pay attention to running water; the mountains and rocks should be continuous and form a momentum, echoing from far and near; the trees should be different in size and have their own charm."

Bai Gongtong's voice became higher and higher, repeatedly saying.

The voice was thick and strong, echoing in the conference room.

"When the building is placed in it, it must also interact with the scenery, or cross the water, or echo with the rocks, or play with the trees. It is 'live' to make a bunch of dead things without emotions vivid and affectionate."

Everyone listened carefully, and Masayuki Kurokawa listened even more carefully.

The current road of the island countries lies in the Zen culture, which seems to be preserved in their bones and is the direction they are pioneering.

He couldn't help but be careless and make a comparison.

"The Zen of our island country is apathetic, and what we pursue is a 'small and sad' artistic conception."

Masayuki Kurokawa pondered: "Zen in the island country emphasizes 'death', which is dry landscape."

"Western geometric gardens and modern landscape planning also emphasize 'death', each with its own shade of 'death'."

Still pondering, Bai Gongtong's words sounded again, only to hear him say:
"We yearn for life and unexpected joy, which is different from 'death'."

"After all, what our country dislikes the most is 'death'."

Gongtong stopped abruptly when she said this, as if thinking of something, he first glanced at Masayuki Kurokawa not far away, then retracted his gaze and added:

"Of course, the word 'death' here is not derogatory, it's just two different ideas."

The turbid eyes of Mr. Wu and Mr. Xue became brighter and clearer. When they looked at the picture next to Bai Gongtong once again, they seemed to be able to see more and more clearly.

Minister Chen, as well as the leaders and experts also looked cautious, with joy on their faces.

Bai Gongtong continued: "'Live' can be understood as flexibility or vitality. It can be summarized as 'change' in the Book of Changes."

"Not only do you pay attention to 'liveness' in setting scenery, but you also need to move to different scenes; you need to pay attention to 'liveness' when writing poems, and you need to be infinitely deliberate; live'."

Bai Gongtong paused, with a smile on her face:
"I don't know if any of you have paid attention to the roofs of ancient Chinese buildings."

"If you pay attention, then you will find that they all present a cheerful and comfortable arc, which is called 'reversing the universe and facing the sun'."

"Our ancestors had to embrace the sun even on the roof, blending with the sky and the earth, so that they are full of vitality!"

Bai Gongtong continued to analyze Chinese Zen, while Kurokawa Masayuki continued to compare the Zen of the island country.

"Using the flexibility to the extreme?"

He was a little absent-minded, frowned slightly, and whispered:

"Then we should have brought 'death' to the extreme, creating a sad state of mind."

"The roofs of ancient buildings in island countries are mostly straight, simple and small, neat and elegant. This is full of Zen, and this is also 'death'."

"The tendency to regard 'death' as ​​an absolute must stem from our country's troubled situation?"

He withdrew his thoughts, looked at Bai Gongtong again, and said immediately: "It should be."

"'Life' is not only 'vitality', but also 'don't do everything, leave room for it'.

Bai Gongtong stretched out his hand to draw a semicircle, and continued: "This is the concept of a month's profit and loss."

Time passed unconsciously in Bai Gongtong's analysis.

Everyone in the room only felt that their eyes were wide open, and they discovered the true meaning of applying Chinese culture to the contemporary era.

Everyone, including Mr. Wu, recalled the scenes and objects of the China Pavilion before, and only then did they truly realize the concepts, aesthetics, and culture contained in such a courtyard.

"This is truly a China Pavilion that contains the core of China."

Someone spoke out the voice of everyone.

"If a great achievement is lacking, its use will not be harmful; if a great surplus is rushed, its use will be endless. Great straightness will be bent, great ingenuity will be clumsy, and great debate will be dull."

Bai Gongtong's voice suddenly increased, and once again read the old sentence summed up by the ancestors.

"This is beauty, the incomplete beauty pursued by the West."

"The most perfect thing seems to be flawed, but it can be used without fault; the most full thing seems to be empty, but it can be used endlessly; the most straight thing seems to be crooked; the most delicate Things seem to be clumsy; the most ingenious answers seem to be dull."

The voice fell, and he let out his breath slowly.

A blush rose on her face, only to hear Bai Gongtong finally say:
"The highest evaluation of design in China can be described in one word since ancient times."

"Although it is made by man, it seems to be made by nature. This is the highest state of 'living'!"

After speaking, he bowed slightly to the front of the stage.

There was a loud applause in the meeting room!
Elder Wu, President Xue, and Minister Chen took the lead. Everyone looked at Bai Gongtong and applauded.

Without a doubt, this is the best Chinese pavilion ever!
"Designer Bai Gongtong, on behalf of the country, I would like to express my deep gratitude to you!"

Minister Chen stood up and bowed deeply to Bai Gongtong.

"Designer Bai Gongtong, thank you."

"The way of Chinese architecture is not to blindly extract ancient elements, not to apply those thousands of years ago to modern design as it is!"

"It should dig into its deep culture."

Chairman Xue and Elder Wu also stood up, with solemn expressions, and bowed deeply to Bai Gongtong.

On the side of Baitongtong, Masayuki Kurokawa was also applauding, but he was also thinking.

"'Small and sad' versus 'broad and beautiful'."

"'Frigidity' vs. 'Humanity.'"

"'Life' and 'Death'."

He thought to himself.

"In the end, which one is better or worse, there is no distinction between high and low, or"

I don't know what kind of answer he got, but Masayuki Kurokawa remained silent.

　Well, the concepts, ideas, and paths expressed in this chapter are just indisputable conjectures, and I am not responsible for them!In this book, it is indisputable!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)